The Cottage Journal

As much as I love the comforts of cozy cottage interiors, when the sun comes out, I can’t help being drawn outdoors and into the beauty that nature provides in the summer. Luckily, there’s no need to choose between inspiring design and invigorating fresh air, as we hope to demonstrate in this issue of The Cottage Journal. Lakeside decorating, stylishly designed porches and patios, and tables set beneath the sun—the stories we’ve curated here celebrate outdoor living at its finest. From the Arkansas cottage of landscape designer Daniel Keeley to one family’s getaway on Wisconsin’s Elkhart Lake, the owners and designers of these spaces value their porches and patios as much as their kitchens and living rooms. Any rose enthusiasts will find a double treat in our Garden Pleasures section,…

Liz Williams of Liz Williams Interiors was still putting the finishing touches on the Atlanta home of Brook Sutherlin and Andy Wardner when the couple purchased an additional property on Georgia’s scenic Lake Lanier. Though summer was only a few months away, they asked the interior designer if she would help renovate the three-level house within the short time frame so their family of five could enjoy the forthcoming sun-kissed season. Wasting no time, Liz pulled together a plan. “We amped everything up,” she says. Using the existing footprint of the abode, Liz launched into creating a polished yet playful retreat. Since the dwelling was built in 1976, Liz endeavored to allow the home’s last-century spirit to shine amidst contemporary upgrades. Brook’s passion for color also significantly shaped stylistic choices,…

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of work, school, and daily life, the chance to retreat to the Lowcountry is a welcome haven. This family of four calls Raleigh, North Carolina, their home, but a vacation property in Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina, allows them to escape reality whenever needed. To make their home away from home feel more familiar, they called in Elizabeth O’Neal, the interior designer who helped with their primary residence. “It was a fun experience getting to do two back-to-back homes with this family,” Elizabeth says. Founder and principal of Elizabeth O’Neal Interiors, she was brought onto this getaway only two months after finishing the family’s Raleigh home. Taking cues from the first project, she incorporated some of the clients’ initial requests: textures, neutrals, and…

When it comes to house hunting, it’s easy to set your sights on the horizon, always looking for bigger and better abodes. But for Britney Carter and her husband, the best dwelling for their growing family turned out to be a small, three-bedroom 1930s-era cottage tucked along the edge of Wheeler Lake in Rogersville, Alabama. The house also happens to sit next door to Britney’s childhood friend, and it was this bestie who ultimately paved the way for the couple’s dream home makeover, setting in motion a one-room project that quickly ballooned into a whole-house renovation. “We had been on the hunt for a home for a while, and when this one came available, we snagged it,” Britney recalls. “But the home needed a lot of work—including the addition of…

When lake views and a countryside setting surround your home, it’s a good idea to embrace that beauty in your décor—which is something interior designer Emily Winters of Peabody’s Interiors understands well. Brought on to design a secondary home on Wisconsin’s Elkhart Lake, she took the clients’ request for a functional, serene space fit for entertaining and ran with it. “They have a huge extended family, and they seem to be the place where everybody gathers,” says Emily of homeowners Cari and Pete Ullrich. An open-concept great room and kitchen was the solution from the architects at Distinctive Design Studio, and the team at Peabody’s Interiors moved in with materials that embraced both practicality and the spirit of the home’s surroundings. “We took a lot of our cues from the…

During an Arbor Day celebration in eighth grade, Daniel Keeley found himself pocketing extra tree saplings, intrigued by their tiny forms and the possibilities they posed. As he sowed sprigs in his parents’ yard that day, a seed for design was likewise planted. Though Daniel studied business in college, he eventually found his way back to landscape design, beginning with projects for friends before opening his own firm, DK Design, crafting fine gardens and outdoor living spaces. Today, Daniel shapes environments that feel refined and deeply considered. While residential landscapes remain his bread and butter, his trained eye for space, color, and form seamlessly translates indoors. When he purchased a 1940s cottage he had admired for years from next door, Daniel approached the renovation as a deliberate departure from past…